Golf is played on golf courses that include various terrain features, including fairway, rough, woods, water hazards, sand traps (or bunkers), and golf greens (commonly referred to as just “the green”). The golf course is not flat, showing significant contour, or relief. The golf green contains a hole for receiving a golf ball. The object of the game is to move a golf ball from one end of the fairway, delineated as the “tee” into the hole in the golf green at the other end of the fairway by hitting, or stroking, the ball with one or more golf clubs. Usually, more than one stroke of a golf club upon the ball is required to urge the ball into the hole. The game of golf is typically played by more than one person at a time, allowing multiple golf balls on the golf green at one time. The rules of the game of golf provide for the order in which the balls on the green may be played. As a result, balls to be played later are sometimes located in the path of balls to be played sooner, obstructing orderly play. In this situation, the rules provide that the golfer who is to play the obstructing ball must pick up his ball and mark the spot accurately. Golf ball markers are used for this purpose. Golf balls may also be picked up and their places marked if a player thinks that an earlier player might, in the course of missing the hole, impact the later player's golf ball to a less favorable position. Where the golf ball to be picked up is directly in the path of the earlier player's shot, the marker is placed off to the side of, and perpendicular to, a line from the earlier player's ball to the hole. In this manner, the marker itself will not interfere with the earlier player's shot.
Golf ball markers are known in the game of golf as small pieces used to mark a position of a ball on the golf green, although the rules do not limit the size of the golf ball marker. Considerable innovation in design of golf ball markers precedes the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,103 to Sihn for a GOLF BALL MARKER issued on Oct. 29, 1996 disclosing a circular flat disc golf ball marker made of precious metal, such as gold, having, metal facets around the edge, optional faceted gem stones on the top surface, and optional identification symbols on the top surface. Sihn's indicia may be relief indicia. Sihn discloses a substantially spherical stud on the underside of his golf ball marker for securing the golf ball marker to clothing for use as jewelry and for securing the marker to the golf green. Sihn teaches using various surface textures, but only one at a time.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,178,872 to Engstrom for a GOLF CLUB ATTACHMENT AND MARKER issued on Nov. 7, 1939 and discloses a flat disc golf ball marker with a screw-type protrusion from the bottom for alternatively securing the golf ball marker in the end of a golf club or securing the golf ball marker to the golf green.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,622,157 to Hatch for a GOLF GREEN REPAIR TOOL AND GOLF BALL MARKER ASSEMBLY issued on Nov. 23, 1971 and discloses a flat disc golf ball marker with a lower protrusion for alternatively securing the golf ball marker in a golf green repair tool or securing the golf ball marker to the golf green.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,616 to Stacavich-Notaro for a GOLF BALL MARKER issued on Feb. 1, 1994 and discloses a flat circular disc golf ball marker with a some element of decoration on a top portion that is attachable with hook and loop fasteners to an attachment component. The attachment component, having a spike, attaches alternatively to the golf green or operates as part of a tie tack.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,995 B1 to Jastram for a GOLF BALL POSITION MARKER AND METHOD issue on May 5, 2002 and discloses a flat circular disc golf ball marker having indicia on the top surface and the bottom surface. The top surface indicia are positioning indicia and the bottom surface indicia may be advertising.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,120,972 B2 to O'Banion for a MAGNETIC ATTACHMENT DEVICE AND METHODOLOGY issued on Oct. 17, 2006 and discloses a magnetic clamp that clamps over a portion of apparel and receives a flat circular or regular polygonal golf ball marker having decoration on its top surface and optionally having a raised ridge around the perimeter. O'Banion teaches the use of precious metals and plastic for making the golf ball marker.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,226,370 B1 to Cope for a GOLF BALL POSITION MARKER ASSEMBLY issued on Jun. 5, 2007 and discloses a golf ball marker secured to a functional or decorative accessory. The golf ball marker is magnetically secured to a base for easy access. Cope discloses decorative or functional indicia such as precious stones, decorative etching or enameled ornamentation, the user's name or initials, memorable dates, advertising material, tournament logos, or golf club logos.
The inventors have recognized a need for golf ball markers that have conformal, or relief representations of portions of an actual golf course. In order to meet those needs, and to solve related problems, the inventors have developed the novel golf ball marker of the present invention.